Big third ends move Smith, Birt to tonight's ‘C’ Qualifier

The Guardian

Published: Jan 12 at 5:38 p.m.

Jane DiCarlo, left and Whitney Jenkins, mate and lead on the Veronica Smith rink, sweep a stone during the P.E.I. Scotties. Smith takes a 5-1 record into tonight’s 7p.m. ‘C’ Qualifier against Suzanne Birt (3-2). Sarah Fullerton (4-2) awaits them in Sunday’s play-offs. - Eric McCarthy

Play-offs in Scotties and Tankard ch’ships start Sunday

ALBERTON -- The third end proved pivotal for the winning teams in Saturday afternoon’s ‘C’ Qualifier semi-finals at the P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s curling championship.

At the Western Community Curling Club, Veronica Smith broke a 1-1 tie with five points in the third and went on to defeat and eliminate the Melissa Morrow rink from further competition. Smith moves on to compete in her third consecutive qualifier, having won the ‘A’ Qualifier before dropping the B’ qualifier Friday to Sarah Fullerton. She plays Suzanne Birt at 7 o’clock. Birt scored an 8-2 victory over Fullerton in the afternoon draw She blanked the first two ends to keep hammer and made the most of it by scoring three in the third end. Fullerton reduced Birt’s lead to 4-2 in the sixth, but Birt put the game away with a pair of deuces over the next two ends.

It was only Fullerton’s second loss so she advances to the play-off round on Sunday where she will face either Birt or Smith. Birt needs a win to make the playoffs but Smith, with only one loss in the modified tripe knock-out championship, would need to be beaten twice more to be denied the right to represent P.E.I. at the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts next month in Sydney, NS.

Birt and Smith will be sharing the Alberton ice at 7 p.m. with the John Likely and Darren Higgens rinks who are meeting in the ‘C’ qualifier of the P.E.I. Tankard provincial men’s curling championship.Read how they got to this point here